To Get Promoted, Get Feedback from Your Critics

Individuals often struggle to know where they need to grow in order to move up to the next level. One of the best strategies for aspiring leaders to rise through the ranks in organizations is to create a personal board of directors. The board is a group of six to eight people you select to help with your professional development — individuals who can help you uncover your blind spots, provide specific feedback by seeing you in action, and, in some situations, advocate for you. They can help you navigate tumultuous political waters, provide you with insight on a regular basis that can inform the ways you work and think, and even change the minds of your toughest critics.

Consider the case of Alex, a general manager at an online company. She was very successful at producing results. Her business numbers were stellar and on a steady climb. She was one of the most knowledgeable people in her field and a sought-after speaker on future trends in her industry. But while she was very good at what she did, Alex struggled with how she did her job. When asked, people admitted to walking on eggshells around her. Alex considered herself direct, but others thought she was condescending, dismissive, and impatient. They thought she was invested in furthering only her own team’s agenda — at the cost of other teams’ goals. And although her team was motivated by business wins, they feared Alex and were hungry for positive acknowledgement. Only a small handful of people appreciated her no-nonsense approach. Unless she addressed these communication challenges, her chances of promotion were slim.

Alex needed a personal board of directors. Since most people who worked with her already had firmly entrenched perceptions about her, she needed a diverse set of people who could actively observe and inform her about her interactions. But Alex needed to build this board not just with her supporters but also with her critics.

As with any good board of directors, you need to fill different roles and specialties to optimize its effectiveness. William Wrigley Jr. is reported to have said, “When two men in business always agree, one of them is unnecessary.” If you have too many board members who agree with each other, you might as well have a board of one. A diverse board broadens your leadership skills by understanding the motivations of different kinds of people. Having multiple perceptions reveals a wider range of notes you can play.

Here are three unconventional but important roles to fill on your personal board of directors:

Your Fans

These people help you learn how to change. By giving constructive feedback on the things you’re struggling with, they can help you pinpoint actionable details behind the tough feedback you don’t want to hear. Because they’re your fans, they deliver this feedback with kindness and good intent. Suddenly, the tough stuff no longer makes you feel helpless and overwhelmed. You see a clear set of steps forward.

But it’s your responsibility to push back on your fans for specific information. Ask them for feedback on the behaviors that underlie each negative perception, and go beyond the obvious. For example, ask, “What do you see in my actions that I don’t see?” or “What’s the last 10% that you haven’t yet shared with me?” These types of questions can help them identify areas you may be blind to.

Potential Sponsors

These people are senior leaders who can advocate for you when it’s time for promotion. They may include your manager, your manager’s peers, leaders in a different department, and other influencers who make decisions about you and your coworkers. To work effectively with these folks, stay on their radar and prove your value to them. Share information they don’t have easy access to — perhaps news from a customer visit or themes from an employee roundtable. Also, acknowledge them. Call out how they have made an impact on your business results. They’ll feel good about their work, and you’ll get to showcase your results.

It’s important to remember to keep a current list of potential sponsors, especially as the players around you change. If you’re left without a certain player on your board, you have no option for growth. For example, in the past year, three vice presidents I coach maintained a strong relationship with a single key person above them. But when that sponsor left the organization, all three lost their champion. Without an internal sponsor, they ended up leaving the organization as well.

Your Critics

This frequently overlooked category is the toughest part of your board. These individuals have deep-seated perceptions of you and can block you from advancing. There are two reasons to enroll your critics: to shift their perception of you to a more favorable one and to give you specific, actionable feedback on what you do well so you can improve.

Find adversaries who are critical, pinpoint specifics, and are nitpicky. But rather than having them point out your deficiencies, ask them to identify your strengths, and show them you’re committed to improving. Ask them to provide you with feedback when they catch you doing the new and improved behavior well. Then push them further. As with your fans, ask for specific behaviors. For example, ask, “What did you see me say or do that led you to the impression that I’m more invested in building peer relationships?”

Ten months after Alex started working with her board, she was given a promotion, increased job responsibilities, and a special bonus. Her hard work paid off. Because her board had seen her efforts to improve up close, they could speak confidently about the changes they had observed, and they worked hard to advocate for her.

To improve yourself as a leader and professional, you can’t depend on your point of view. Seek out feedback from a group of smart and influential people — those who support you and those who don’t. Putting together a diverse group of carefully curated colleagues will help you have a greater impact, move up, and generate more supporters who want to see you succeed.

Sabina Nawaz is a global CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer working in over 26 countries. She advises C-level executives in Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, non-profits, and academic organizations. Sabina has spoken at hundreds of seminars, events, and conferences including TEDx and has written for FastCompany.com, Inc.com, and Forbes.com, in addition to HBR.org. Follow her on Twitter.